Data / Rankings / Poverty rate (US official measure) / Counties in West Virginia

Counties in West Virginia by poverty rate

McDowell County had the highest poverty rate of 55 counties in 2017, at 31.7%. Putnam County had the lowest, at 10.4%. The median was 18.9% and the figure for West Virginia was 18.5%. Source: the U.S. Census Bureau.

Highest31.7McDowell County
Lowest10.4Putnam County
Median18.955 counties
West Virginia18.5History

All counties, 2017

CSVChart (SVG)

McDowell CountyMcDowell County: 31.7 %31.7Mingo CountyMingo County: 31 %31Logan CountyLogan County: 29.2 %29.2Summers CountySummers County: 28.8 %28.8Webster CountyWebster County: 28.1 %28.1Clay CountyClay County: 27.3 %27.3Gilmer CountyGilmer County: 26.6 %26.6Cabell CountyCabell County: 26.1 %26.1Lincoln CountyLincoln County: 25.7 %25.7Wyoming CountyWyoming County: 25.7 %25.7Calhoun CountyCalhoun County: 24.8 %24.8Upshur CountyUpshur County: 22.7 %22.7Braxton CountyBraxton County: 22.5 %22.5Fayette CountyFayette County: 22.3 %22.3Boone CountyBoone County: 21.4 %21.4Barbour CountyBarbour County: 21.2 %21.2Roane CountyRoane County: 21.2 %21.2Mercer CountyMercer County: 21 %21Wetzel CountyWetzel County: 20.6 %20.6Wayne CountyWayne County: 20.4 %20.4Mason CountyMason County: 20.2 %20.2Doddridge CountyDoddridge County: 20.1 %20.1Nicholas CountyNicholas County: 20.1 %20.1Raleigh CountyRaleigh County: 19.9 %19.9Randolph CountyRandolph County: 19.6 %19.6Wirt CountyWirt County: 19.2 %19.2Marshall CountyMarshall County: 19.1 %19.1Pocahontas CountyPocahontas County: 18.9 %18.9Greenbrier CountyGreenbrier County: 18.5 %18.5Ritchie CountyRitchie County: 18.5 %18.5Lewis CountyLewis County: 18.4 %18.4Wood CountyWood County: 18.2 %18.2Kanawha CountyKanawha County: 18.1 %18.1Preston CountyPreston County: 17.5 %17.5Monongalia CountyMonongalia County: 17.3 %17.3Jackson CountyJackson County: 17 %17Hampshire CountyHampshire County: 16.9 %16.9Harrison CountyHarrison County: 16.8 %16.8Monroe CountyMonroe County: 16.5 %16.5Marion CountyMarion County: 16.2 %16.2Tucker CountyTucker County: 16.2 %16.2Taylor CountyTaylor County: 16 %16Tyler CountyTyler County: 16 %16Pendleton CountyPendleton County: 15.3 %15.3Hancock CountyHancock County: 14.9 %14.9Grant CountyGrant County: 14.5 %14.5Hardy CountyHardy County: 14.4 %14.4Mineral CountyMineral County: 13.6 %13.6Brooke CountyBrooke County: 13.2 %13.2Pleasants CountyPleasants County: 13.1 %13.1Morgan CountyMorgan County: 13 %13Ohio CountyOhio County: 12.7 %12.7Berkeley CountyBerkeley County: 11.8 %11.8Jefferson CountyJefferson County: 10.4 %10.4Putnam CountyPutnam County: 10.4 %10.4
%. Source: U.S. Census Bureau. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Full ranking

RankCounties2017 (%)Change on 2016
1McDowell County31.7-4.6 pts
2Mingo County31+2.8 pts
3Logan County29.2+4.8 pts
4Summers County28.8+4.1 pts
5Webster County28.1-1.9 pts
6Clay County27.3-1.7 pts
7Gilmer County26.6-0.5 pts
8Cabell County26.1+4.2 pts
9Lincoln County25.7+1.5 pts
9Wyoming County25.7+1.8 pts
11Calhoun County24.8+3 pts
12Upshur County22.7+2.5 pts
13Braxton County22.5+1.2 pts
14Fayette County22.3+2.6 pts
15Boone County21.4-2.8 pts
16Barbour County21.2-1.2 pts
16Roane County21.2-0.9 pts
18Mercer County21+0.8 pts
19Wetzel County20.6+1.1 pts
20Wayne County20.4-1.1 pts
21Mason County20.2+2.3 pts
22Doddridge County20.1+0.4 pts
22Nicholas County20.1-1.3 pts
24Raleigh County19.9+2.5 pts
25Randolph County19.6+0.9 pts
26Wirt County19.2+1.1 pts
27Marshall County19.1+1.6 pts
28Pocahontas County18.9+0.6 pts
29Greenbrier County18.5+2.5 pts
29Ritchie County18.5+0.3 pts
31Lewis County18.40 pts
32Wood County18.2+1 pts
33Kanawha County18.1+1.3 pts
34Preston County17.5+0.1 pts
35Monongalia County17.3-1.2 pts
36Jackson County17+1.3 pts
37Hampshire County16.9+1.2 pts
38Harrison County16.8+2.2 pts
39Monroe County16.5-0.8 pts
40Marion County16.2-1.4 pts
40Tucker County16.2+0.4 pts
42Taylor County16-0.4 pts
42Tyler County16-0.1 pts
44Pendleton County15.3-0.9 pts
45Hancock County14.9+1.7 pts
46Grant County14.5-0.5 pts
47Hardy County14.4-0.8 pts
48Mineral County13.6-2 pts
49Brooke County13.2-0.2 pts
50Pleasants County13.1-1.2 pts
51Morgan County13+1.1 pts
52Ohio County12.7-3.1 pts
53Berkeley County11.8-1.1 pts
54Jefferson County10.4+0.3 pts
54Putnam County10.4-0.4 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People living in families or alone with income below the official US poverty thresholds, as a percentage of people whose poverty status can be determined. United States: Census Bureau Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE), all ages.

Absolute thresholds set by the US government, so not comparable with the EU at_risk_of_poverty_rate.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the counties are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

U.S. Census Bureau. Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. https://www2.census.gov/programs-surveys/saipe/datasets/2017/2017-state-and-county/est17all.txt. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

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Rank Counties in West Virginia by poverty rate using official data, and cite the source.
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Questions

Which county has the highest poverty rate?

McDowell County, with 31.7% in 2017, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Which county has the lowest poverty rate?

Putnam County, with 10.4% in 2017.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: U.S. Census Bureau, Small Area Income and Poverty Estimates (SAIPE): percent of people of all ages in poverty, states and counties. Retrieved 2026-10-08.

Poverty rate (US official measure): other rankings

Counties in West Virginia: more rankings